Understanding Your Ontario Gas Bill

Most Ontario homes with natural gas are served by Enbridge Gas, with EPCOR serving some communities. Gas bills are structured differently from electricity bills: there are no time-of-day prices, but the cost of the gas itself changes every quarter and your usage swings dramatically with the seasons.

This guide explains each line on a typical Enbridge residential bill, what changed when the carbon charge was removed, and how to use your bill to make better decisions about heating. Rates are approved by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB); check enbridgegas.com (opens in a new tab) and oeb.ca (opens in a new tab) for current figures.

The main lines on an Enbridge Gas bill

Line	What it pays for	How it's charged
Customer charge	Meter, billing and basic service costs	Fixed monthly amount
Delivery to you	Local distribution pipes and their operation	Per m³, in blocks (rate declines slightly as use rises)
Transportation to Enbridge	Moving gas through long-distance pipelines to Ontario	Per m³
Gas supply charge	The natural gas itself (commodity)	Per m³; set quarterly with OEB approval
Cost adjustments	Reconciliation of past forecast vs. actual costs	Per m³, can be a charge or a credit
HST	13% harmonized sales tax	On total charges

Depending on your rate zone, you may also see small regulated items. Some third-party charges, such as a water heater rental, can also appear on your gas bill; these are not Enbridge charges and are governed by your rental contract. See our water heater rental guide.

Note: Rate zones matter. Former Union Gas and Enbridge Gas Distribution areas still have different rate structures, so two homes using the same amount of gas in different parts of Ontario can pay different amounts.

The carbon charge is gone

The federal consumer fuel charge on natural gas was removed effective 1 April 2025. Before that, it appeared as a separate "Federal Carbon Charge" line and added a meaningful amount per m³. Its removal:

Lowered gas bills for most households noticeably, especially in winter.
Narrowed the operating-cost advantage of heat pumps compared with gas furnaces, because gas became cheaper while electricity prices did not drop.

If you are comparing quotes for a heat pump, make sure the contractor's savings estimate uses post-April 2025 gas prices. Our blog post on carbon charge removal and heat pump economics covers this in more detail.

What gas actually costs you

For most Enbridge residential customers, the all-in variable cost is roughly 35–50¢ per m³ including supply, transportation and delivery, before the fixed customer charge and HST. This is an estimate that varies by rate zone and quarter; 45¢/m³ is a reasonable default for planning.

A typical year

A typical Ontario home uses about 2,000–2,600 m³ of gas a year for space and water heating. Here is an illustrative month-by-month pattern for a home using 2,400 m³:

Month	m³ (illustrative)	Variable cost at 45¢/m³
January	450	$202.50
February	400	$180.00
March	310	$139.50
April	180	$81.00
May	90	$40.50
June	45	$20.25
July	35	$15.75
August	35	$15.75
September	50	$22.50
October	140	$63.00
November	270	$121.50
December	395	$177.75
Year	2,400	$1,080.00

Add the fixed monthly customer charge and HST to reach your total. Summer months, when gas is used only for water heating and perhaps a stove or dryer, are mostly fixed charges. Homes in colder regions, such as Ottawa (about 4,500 heating degree days) or Sudbury and Thunder Bay (about 5,000–5,700), use more than Toronto-area homes (about 3,500–3,600).

Converting m³ to kWh and comparing with heat pumps

One cubic metre of natural gas contains roughly 10.35 kWh (about 37.3 MJ) of energy. That lets you compare the cost of heat from different sources:

Heating source	Assumptions (estimates)	Cost per kWh of heat delivered
High-efficiency gas furnace	45¢/m³, 96% AFUE	About 4.5¢
Older gas furnace	45¢/m³, 80% AFUE	About 5.4¢
Cold-climate heat pump	14¢/kWh marginal electricity, seasonal COP 2.75	About 5.1¢
Electric baseboard	14¢/kWh, 100% efficient	About 14¢

At current prices, a new condensing gas furnace still provides heat slightly more cheaply than a heat pump in most Toronto-area homes, but the gap is small. Heat pumps are far cheaper to run than electric baseboard, oil or propane, and they also provide air conditioning. The heat pump vs. furnace calculator lets you plug in your own rates and usage.

Ways to lower your gas bill

Thermostat setbacks. Lowering the temperature 2–3 °C overnight or when away typically saves roughly 5–10% of heating energy. A smart thermostat automates this.
Air sealing and attic insulation. Many older Ontario homes have R-12 to R-20 in the attic; the retrofit target is R-50 to R-60.
Furnace maintenance. A clean filter and annual service keep efficiency up and catch problems early.
Water heating. Fix leaky hot taps, use efficient showerheads and insulate accessible hot water pipes. Keep the tank at a safe temperature setting; very low settings can allow bacteria to grow.
Check for rebates. The Home Renovation Savings Program, jointly delivered by Save on Energy and Enbridge Gas, has offered rebates for insulation, smart thermostats and more. Confirm current offers on saveonenergy.ca (opens in a new tab) or browse our rebates directory.

Tip: Enbridge and most utilities offer an equal-payment budget billing plan that spreads winter costs across the year. It doesn't reduce what you pay, but it makes January easier to manage.

Gas marketers and contracts

You can buy your gas supply from Enbridge at the regulated, quarterly-adjusted rate, or sign a contract with a licensed gas marketer. Marketer contracts typically offer a fixed price for several years; they have not consistently beaten the regulated rate. Delivery and transportation charges still come from Enbridge either way. Read any contract carefully, especially one offered at your door, and check consumer protection rules on ontario.ca (opens in a new tab).

Frequently asked questions

Why does my gas bill change every three months even if I use the same amount?

The gas supply charge and some other rates are adjusted quarterly through a process approved by the OEB, reflecting changes in market prices and past forecasting differences.

Why do I pay a charge in summer when I barely use gas?

The fixed monthly customer charge covers metering, billing and connection costs regardless of usage. In summer it may make up most of your bill.

What is an "estimated" reading?

If a meter cannot be read, Enbridge estimates usage from your past patterns and weather. The difference is corrected when an actual reading is taken. Check the bill for a notation, and contact Enbridge if estimates persist.

Is switching off gas entirely worth it?

Sometimes. Removing gas eliminates the fixed customer charge, which can be a few hundred dollars a year, but it requires replacing every gas appliance. Many homeowners keep the furnace as backup with a hybrid heat pump instead. Compare options with a qualified contractor through our heating and cooling hub.